Sardar Bahadur Sir Sobha Singh,
OBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1890-1978) was a civil contractor and a prominent builder of
Lutyens' DelhiLutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi, India, named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens , who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s...
and
real estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
owner of
DelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Early life
Sobha Singh was born in 1890, in the village of
Hadalikhushab is a town of Khushab District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. The town is administratively subdivided into two Union Councils and is located at 32°17'32N 72°11'32E with an altitude of 177 metres ....
in
KhushabKhushab Tehsil is an administrative subdivision Khushab District in the Punjab province of Pakistan.-History:During British rule Khushab was a tehsil of the old Shahpur District, the tehsil at that time had an area of...
, Shahpur District - then part of
British IndiaBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
(now Pakistan). He was the elder of the two sons of Sujan Singh and Lakshmi Devi, the younger one being
Sardar Ujjal SinghSardar Ujjal Singh was an Indian politician who served as the Governor of Punjab , followed by Governor of Tamil Nadu from...
, who was a
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in India from the state of Punjab.
Sardar Bahadur Sir Sobha Singh,
OBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1890-1978) was a civil contractor and a prominent builder of
Lutyens' DelhiLutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi, India, named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens , who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s...
and
real estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
owner of
DelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Early life
Sobha Singh was born in 1890, in the village of
Hadalikhushab is a town of Khushab District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. The town is administratively subdivided into two Union Councils and is located at 32°17'32N 72°11'32E with an altitude of 177 metres ....
in
KhushabKhushab Tehsil is an administrative subdivision Khushab District in the Punjab province of Pakistan.-History:During British rule Khushab was a tehsil of the old Shahpur District, the tehsil at that time had an area of...
, Shahpur District - then part of
British IndiaBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
(now Pakistan). He was the elder of the two sons of Sujan Singh and Lakshmi Devi, the younger one being
Sardar Ujjal SinghSardar Ujjal Singh was an Indian politician who served as the Governor of Punjab , followed by Governor of Tamil Nadu from...
, who was a
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in India from the state of Punjab.
Sardar Bahadur Sir Sobha Singh,
OBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1890-1978) was a civil contractor and a prominent builder of
Lutyens' DelhiLutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi, India, named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens , who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s...
and
real estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
owner of
DelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Early life
Sobha Singh was born in 1890, in the village of
Hadalikhushab is a town of Khushab District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. The town is administratively subdivided into two Union Councils and is located at 32°17'32N 72°11'32E with an altitude of 177 metres ....
in
KhushabKhushab Tehsil is an administrative subdivision Khushab District in the Punjab province of Pakistan.-History:During British rule Khushab was a tehsil of the old Shahpur District, the tehsil at that time had an area of...
, Shahpur District - then part of
British IndiaBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
(now Pakistan). He was the elder of the two sons of Sujan Singh and Lakshmi Devi, the younger one being
Sardar Ujjal SinghSardar Ujjal Singh was an Indian politician who served as the Governor of Punjab , followed by Governor of Tamil Nadu from...
, who was a
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in India from the state of Punjab.{{cn}]
After a few years at school in Amritsar, he joined his father's business of civil construction dealing in the laying of railway tracks and the digging of tunnels.{{cn|date=September 2011}}
Career
When
Lord HardingeBaron Hardinge of Penshurst, in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1910 for the diplomat the Hon. Sir Charles Hardinge, Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1910 to 1916. He was the second son of Charles Hardinge, 2nd Viscount Hardinge...
, the Viceroy of India, announced the plan to move the British capital to Delhi was along with the
Coronation DurbarThe Delhi Durbar , meaning "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911...
for
King George VGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and the
Queen MaryMary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, would take place in Delhi in December 1911, Sujan Singh and 22-year old Sobha Singh, who was then a contractor working on the
KalkaKalka is a town in the Panchkula district of Haryana, India. The name of the town is derived from the goddess Kali. The town is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. It is on the National Highway 22 between Chandigarh and Shimla,...
-
ShimlaShimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
railroad, shifted base to Delhi as building contractors. Building contracts then being given out. Sujan Singh-Sobha Singh were accepted as senior-grade contractors. Plans for the new city were drawn immediately after the Coronation Durbar.
The Foundation stones had been laid by the King and Queen. After this the architects,
Edwin LutyensSir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
and
Herbert BakerSir Herbert Baker was a British architect.Baker was the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, 1892–1912....
wanted to change the site from where the foundation stones had been laid to
Raisina hillRaisina Hill is an area of Lutyens' Delhi, New Delhi, housing India's most important government buildings, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India and the Secretariat building housing the Prime Minister's Office and several other important ministries...
and the village of Malcha. Sobha Singh had the foundation stones removed during the night and then take them 11 km across the city and replant them on the new site. The construction of the plans were taken up after World War I (1916-18).
For the South Block and War Memorial Arch ( now
India GateThe India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It was built in 1931...
), Sobha Singh was the sole builder. He also worked on some parts of the Viceregal House (now
Rashtrapati BhavanThe Rashtrapati Bhavan or The Official Residence of the Head of the State is the official residence of the President of India, located at Raisina hill in New Delhi, India. Until 1950 it was known as "Viceroy's House" and served as the residence of the Viceroy and Governor-General of India...
) and Vijay Chowk.
Sobha Singh bought as much land in Delhi as he could. He bought several extensive sites at as little as Rs 2 per square yard, freehold. There were few other takers, and he came to be described as
adhi dilli da malik (the owner of half of Delhi). He constructed many residential and commercial buildings, including the
Connaught PlaceConnaught Place Connaught Place Connaught Place (Hindi: कनॉट प्लेस, (officially Rajiv Chowk) is one of the largest financial, commercial and business centers in Delhi. It is often abbreviated as CP and houses the headquarters of several Indian firms. Its surroundings occupy a place of pride...
market complex, as well as the Chelmsford, A.I.F.A.C.'s Hall, Broadcasting House (
All India RadioAll India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
), The National Museum,
Dyal Singh CollegeDayal Singh College, Lahore is an old college for graduate and post graduate students affiliated to University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.-History:...
, T.B.Hospital,
Modern SchoolModern School, commonly known as Modern, is a co-educational private school in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1920 by Lala Raghubir Singh and Sir Sobha Singh. Considered to be one of the elite schools, Modern is also referred to as the Eton of India. It is the first private school established...
, Deaf and Dumb School, St. Columba's School, Red Cross Buildings and Baroda House. Outside Delhi, he built the High Court and Government Medical College at Nagpur and the Pasteur Institute at Kasauli.
Sobha Singh was a person of modest education but his success as a builder made him one of the wealthiest persons of Delhi; also, a prominent member of the social elite. He also became the first
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n president of the
New Delhi Municipal CouncilNew Delhi Municipal Council is the municipal corporation of the city of New Delhi, India, and the area under its administration is referred to as the NDMC area. NDMC, covering an area of 43.7 km2, is governed by a council with a chairperson appointed by the central government and includes the...
and held the post four times, in 1938, 1942, and 1945-46. Appointed an OBE in 1938, he was knighted by the government and appointed a member of the Council of States. He also built
Sujan Singh Park, near
Khan MarketKhan Market , named in honour of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan , it is the costliest market strip in New Delhi. It has been ranked as the costliest retail location in India...
New Delhi, New Delhi's first apartment complex, which only had bungalows till then, in 1945, designed by
Walter Sykes GeorgeWalter Sykes George was an English architect active in India during the first half of the 20th century, most known for being partt of the team of architects who designed New Delhi, the new capital of India, from 1911-1931....
and named after his father.
Sobha Singh identified and testified against notable freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in Lahore. Bhagat Singh was subsequently hanged to death and is known as Sheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh. It is alleged that Sobha Singh received the kinghthood due to this act of loyalty. His son Khushwant Singh accepted that his father gave testimony against Bhagat Singh as the court proceedings are available in records, but denies that it lead to Bhagat Singh's death sentence.
Legacy
Sobha Singh left a large part of his private estate to a charitable trust,
The Sobha Singh Trust, which maintains homes and hospices for the terminally ill and aged all over the country, most recently it built, a
dharamsalaDharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
, within the
Guru Teg Bahadur HospitalGuru Tegh Bahadur Hospital is a 1500 bed hospital situated in the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, and is affiliated to and acts as the teaching hospital of University College of Medical Sciences. GTBH was established in 1979 with 350 bed capacity which has now been expanded to 1500 bed...
complex, in
New DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
in 2005
He also presided over some of the institutions funded by it like the Deaf and Dumb School and the Modern School. Among his last grants was one for
Bhagat Puran SinghBhai Puran Singh was born in Rajewal Ludhiana district, Punjab. Born into a Hindu family, he was given the name Ramjidas as a child. Later, while still a child, he choose to become a Sikh. Though he never finished his basic schooling, he became a writer, a publisher, an environmentalist, and a...
's
PingalwaraPingalwara is a house for destitutes in Amritsar in northern Indian state of Punjab. It is housed in a three storey building near the main Amritsar bus stand on the National Highway no. 1, also known as G.T...
home for the destitute in Amritsar.
In 2006,
India International CentreThe India International Centre is a well known non-official organization situated in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1958, and inaugurated in 1968...
(IIC) organized the first
Sir Sobha Singh Memorial Lectures, in which the inaugural lecture titled, ‘My father, the builder’, was given by his son, writer
Khushwant SinghKhushwant Singh is a prominent Indian novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, is among the most widely-read columns in the country....
.
Personal life
The younger brother of Sobha Singh,
Sardar Ujjal SinghSardar Ujjal Singh was an Indian politician who served as the Governor of Punjab , followed by Governor of Tamil Nadu from...
(1895-1983), later became a parliamentarian, and Governor of Tamil Nadu (1966-71).
Sobha Singh was married to Lady Sardarni Vira Bai (Lady Varyam Kaur). They had four sons and a daughter. Bhagwant Singh,
Khushwant SinghKhushwant Singh is a prominent Indian novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, is among the most widely-read columns in the country....
(journalist, and author), Major Gurbakash Singh and Daljit Singh were four sons and a daughter, Mohinder Kaur, who was the mother-in-law of
Rukhsana SultanaRukshana Sultana is the mother of Amrita Singh and a renowned model and Indian political activist. Originally Meenu Bimbet, she later changed her name to Rukhsana Sultana to inherit some property...
and grand-mother of Indian film actress,
Amrita SinghAmrita Singh is an Indian film actress.-Early life:Amrita is the daughter of Rukhsana Sultana. Mohinder Kaur was the daughter of Sir Sobha Singh, who was a noted civil contractor, and made a substantial fortune during the building of New Delhi in the early decades of the 20th century...
.
Sobha Singh died in
DelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
on 18 April 1978.
External Links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Sobha}}